611.3231/573: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Gibson)
103. We had a meeting with the Brazilian Ambassador and his experts yesterday in order to explain our urgent desire to push the Brazilian treaty. We explained that it is our hope to lay before Congress when it convenes next month a sheaf of bilateral commercial treaties. The Colombian treaty is practically ready for signature, but Congress would obviously be reluctant to ratify that treaty (because of most-favored-nation treatment now extended to Brazil) unless a Brazilian treaty were laid before them at the same time.
The Ambassador explained that our draft of a proposed treaty, which we had handed him on October 30, was now under consideration in Rio de Janeiro. He said that he had cabled recently regarding our desire to make progress in this matter, and that he would cable again.
We also explained to the Brazilian Ambassador that in order to expedite action the Brazilian officials dealing with the proposed treaty might consult with you and the Commercial Attaché if they desired information or explanation of any details. The actual negotiations and any question of policy would, of course, be handled here. The Ambassador said he would cable this as well.
We would greatly appreciate anything you can do to expedite action by the Brazilian Government. We gather that since transmitting our proposal of October 30 the Ambassador and his experts have heard little if anything from their Government in the matter.